Councillor Arron Wood, Chair of the Environment portfolio, said that the City of Melbourne was delivering on Council’s aspirations to make the city more sustainable.

“The City of Melbourne is a leader in sustainability and in setting best-practice design standards.

“The Energy, Water and Waste requirements will complement a suite of existing initiatives ensuring buildings in the city are meeting high efficiency standards.

“This is a practical and measurable step aimed at future-proofing new buildings from rising energy costs, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and contributing to efforts to tackle climate change.

Cr Wood said that the policy shift also made good business sense. “Through clever construction and smart design, the city’s new buildings will use less energy, have lower operating costs and will be more attractive for buyers and tenants in the long term.

“This improvement to the planning scheme is a practical example of our determination to make adifference.” Cr Wood concluded.